Jesus You are the King Who left his throne, became a Knight and won my heart.
A love relationship with Jesus is greater than any and all romances combined.
You, aren’t just a King of some lush country or nation on earth…no, You are the King of Heaven, the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
You own it all: the cosmos, the fish in the sea, the richness of every land, the specks of sand on the shore. You came down to earth as a Man to serve the apple of your eye (your beloved) and to destroy her enemy.
Gloriously shinning You awoke the deepest parts of me. In the same voice that You used to awaken Lazarus from death You gazed at me with eyes of warm consuming fire and said to every dead place in my soul, “Live!”
You fought the enemies of my soul without relenting.
You defeated guilt, shame, condemnation, feelings of inferiority, hopelessness, depression and many others.
Your steadfast love captured my heart.
Your faithfulness caused me to trust again and in the light of your radiant love I opened up like a blooming flower.
You showed me what it’s like to be a woman: cherished, adored, loved, a princess destined to become a queen.
You quieted me with Your love.
You gave me rest…
For centuries, the female heart has burned with desire for the lasting pleasure of unchanging love. In the course of time, civilizations have risen and fallen, yet the longing for tangible intimacy has never faded. Millions of lyrics have been written to the passionate tune of this fluid yearning.
Unfortunately, few people find the lasting love they’ve longed for, even as children. Life, education, and societal pressures transform what was once a tangible hope into a mythical fairy tale. Industries have reaped unlimited monetary gain from the erosion of this hope. Billions of girls grow up to become women who have long since tossed their dreams of true love in the trash bin of cynicism. Countless others have buried their ache of unmet desire under the disappointment of failed relationships and hopelessness.
Despite most women’s best attempts, this starved craving remains alive, like a stimulating aroma. This ethereal hope goes back to the first relationship, in a place of being so “seen” and “lovingly known” that “she” was naked and unashamed.
This novella was not written to add salt to the gaping wound of unsatisfied need. It was written to satisfy the need completely. Let Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul introduce you to a lasting relationship with Transcendent Love, where reality becomes sweeter than your dreams.
~To purchase a copy of my novella on divine romance, click here.
“Romantic Rendezvous is a beautiful invitation into intimacy with Jesus! Ashley has done a masterful job of creating stories that depict the heart of the Father. I have truly been blessed by this book! As I read each story, I felt the closeness of Jesus and had continual reminders of how deep the Fathers love is for me. From the very first chapter, I felt the flame of my heart be rekindled with God’s goodness and love. This book is a must read!” -Jessica Leon
The world teaches the opposite of this. Almost every time I turn on the television or listen to a (secular) love song on the radio I hear and see the damaging way culture is training people to find gratification. People cling and grasp at others for fleshly fulfillment…but there is no gratifying the flesh. And such cycles only lead to hurting others or yourself in the name of “love.” We tend to seek wholeness in others because the Father built us for relationship. Aristotle summed this up wisely when he wrote, “it is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.”
When I was 16 years old I was filled with the Holy Spirit. It was only until that moment that I began to receive the love of God (Romans 5:5). This love filled my heart like balmy, thick sap and flowed into the cracks of my broken places, brining the fragrance of Christ. It was truly a supernatural work, one that I could never do. I remember sitting in my high school journalism class next to my friend Hazel and feeling the Holy Spirit move in my heart. I began to scribble in my notebook and drew a picture of my soul. There was a Man inside cooking, then He began rearranging furniture, adding beautiful things and tending to a garden outside of a pleasant looking cottage. I could tell He was making himself comfortable inside of me. I turned to Hazel and showed her the drawing, “I see Jesus in me.”
Soon an amazing thing began to happen…I found fulfillment. This incredible peace came not because of popularity, or dating a boy, or because I had accomplished some great feat. It came because God was intimate with me. Slowly, He wooed me and there was such inner pleasure within me that I became almost unoffendable (if that’s a word). My soul was like a thousand rolling hills of purple lavender fields. The scents of His Presence was weighty and heady like wine. And I was stolen away into a place called the Kingdom of Heaven. There…He made a proposal and I accepted my identity and covenant in Christ.
God’s love is so deep, so wide, so comforting. I once described His eyes like bowls of cinnamon set on fire. He became everything and everything became nothing without Him. I loved others deeply, from my heart (1 Peter 1:22). I found everything the heart of man truly longs for in our Creator…who I found wasn’t distant and angry. He was my personal Friend, my Master, my Father & then He told me He was my husband (Isaiah 54:5).I married my now husband, Stephen McClelland as a virgin. I had never kissed anyone before him or dated anyone before him. But it wasn’t because I had a set of religious rules in front of me and worked hard to control my flesh. To be honest, I’m not that strong and that kind of method doesn’t work. Paul said it is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace (Hebrews 13:9). Father set a feast of divine pleasure in my heart. It was heavenly pleasure that kept me away from sinful fleshly pleasure.
Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul, is a collection of tender short stories that Jesus used to romance my soul with pure intimacy. It was these sweet moments with Him that saved me from the traps that were set for me in my youth. I am so excited to be able to offer this book on amazon. You can check it out by clicking here.
My prayer for every man and women that reads this, is that they will be drenched in the warm love of God as if they were under a spiced waterfall. And that through this… they would fall in love with Him. There is no lasting fulfillment or rest for your soul until it is found in relationship with Him. abundant life begins with Him. The bread of peace is in His hand and He’s a generous Giver.
xoxo
“This book is simply wonderful. Deliciously descriptive, it nourishes the soul with fresh revelation of God’s love for humanity. This collection of short stories may challenge your thinking about what true intimacy looks like, while making your heart yearn to daily experience the Perfect Love described within its pages. It invites you into a world created by Love Himself, where there’s no mistaking that His love is not only unconditional and never-failing, but also deeply personal and precious to Him. Get ready to experience the purpose, pleasure, and power of real love!” -Danielle Sanders
It’s a faithful song with rays more golden than sunlight.
It’s the sweet singing of a bride awaiting her bridegroom.
This song twirls through the windpipes of heaven and strums from the stringed instruments of eternity.
It’s the beckoning smile of a beloved’s face.
It’s more melodious than birdsong in early Spring.
There is no deeper intimacy than sharing breath and body with this holy Lover.
He lives inside of my spirit and my heart pulses with the warmth of his presence even as I long for the tangible warmth of his physical skin. (John 1:14)
This holy Bridegroom who has stolen my heart and keeps it safe inside his chest as if I were within the lock and key of a vault.
His whispers enter my mind as He shares his thoughts with me.
They are always thoughts that bring me peace and life when the storms, troubles or worries of life are present.
His Holy Spirit kisses melt more sweetly than sugar on my hearts’ tongue. (Romans 5:5)
I crave His company more than all others.
I desire everything about Him.
No one from the outside looking in can truly understand or know this love without experiencing it.
This is the most faithful love, because it will never die.
This love has conquered death.
My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses to the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most handsome of men; grace has anointed your lips, since God has blessed you forever. -Psalm 45:1-2 BSB
~This excerpt is taken from the revised version of my new book, Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul:
“I became a man just like you…except male and without sin. But make no mistake, my body was like unto yours.”
The scripture of David sweetened my mind like fine sugar—dusting my thoughts with saccharinity. Was this truly how David felt when he confessed that he wasfearfully and wonderfully made?
Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you… —Psalm 139:14–16a MSG
“You were made for me and for my Father’s good pleasure,” Jesus said.
I gazed toward him and I saw he was looking out at the waves with me. His warm brown eyes aglow like amber by a fire drew me in. My breath caught and I was being lulled into him. Slowly and yet quickly I was sucked into him. Graced with wings I began to fly into his ocher eyes and soar upon the aromatic winds of his soul. Suddenly I was towering over lush, emerald-green mountains carpeted with jade spring grass. Polychromatic flowers like melted rainbows splashed across the mountains like glinting, colorful diamonds. The sky was more expansive than a thousand planets and stretched forth like gleaming still waters of opal blue. The clearness of it was like glass. Cumulus clouds formed puffy hills like burning peach marble and mirrored the hazy autumnal colors of the morning. Jesus’ eyes were more majestic than thousands of waterfalls brimming with translucent waves. In those eyes I saw eternity, and streets of shining gold like transpicuous fire. I beheld oceans of the most pristine blue. Foamy waves swelled, rose, and then splashed down, releasing whimsical laughter with each eye-catching crash. The heart of Jesus arrested me with beauty.
“Do you see it?” Jesus asked.
“Yes,” I barely managed to whisper.
Everything within him was full of life. All of creation seemed diffused with light from an otherworldly presence. Not only was it beautiful, it was alive. It wasn’t alive apart from him, but it was alive with him. It was as if his DNA was in the genetic makeup of everything. Creation took on a new form. It was cloaked with a brilliance that mirrored moonlight. There was a glow around the animals, the blue whales, the flimsy spiders’ webs, the fluttering butterflies, the legs of speeding cheetahs.
“Do you think that is amazing?” he asked.
I nodded. “More than I’ve realized. What did I just see Lord?”
“You saw a little taste of the restoration of all things. The glory in which creation dwelt before the fall—a glance at redemption—the way the Father and I originally intended the world to be: without sin, without killing, without sickness or disease and without fear. But full of my Father’s glory. This is what my Father will do again when he creates the new earth.”
The emancipated world was more breathtaking that I could have imagined. Passages from Isaiah 11 mirror the reality of the glorious goodness that await the redeemed sons and daughters of God.
I took a few thoughtful breaths for measure and tried to reimagine what I saw. I wanted to live in it now. Everything in my body pined for such a world.
“The world came through me. For by me were all things were made and I hold everything together.[i] The Holy Spirit, the One you call your best friend, saw what was in the Father’s heart before he spoke his Word out. For who can know the thoughts of man except the spirit that dwells within him?[ii] The same is true for God. The Spirit took what was in us and when he brooded over the waters, he gave power to the Word, to the heart of God. He went to work. He is the Father’s life-giving Spirit.”
“Wow,” I voiced quietly. An incoherent sound came from my lips as a new thought caused my eyebrows to lift.
“If you think what you’ve seen is amazing then imagine how amazing it was when we fulfilled the Father’s desire when he said, ‘Let us make man in our image and after our likeness.’”
My eyes flared open as a spark of light was seen in Jesus’ body. It was more brilliant than any light I had ever seen.
“You see, when God made the heavens and the earth, the Spirit gave life to his Word—Me—and creation was made the way God intended. But when God formed you and all of his children, he took from out of himself personally. He spoke to himself. He molded a child from the clay of the earth and breathed his Spirit into his child, Adam. Instead of just speaking out, he hand-formed Adam like a potter does with clay and breathed the breath of life into man until Adam became a living soul.[iii] And then he designed Adam in a way that was extremely special. He gave Adam the intellectual and emotional properties for a father-child relationship. This is what the soul of man was created for. By placing his Spirit in man, he put his inner thoughts and heart in man. This has always been our Father’s will. For an everlasting family relationship with man. This is why even after they sinned, Father pursued man. His plan has not changed. He still writes his law, his thoughts and heart, on the heart of men who come to him.[iv] He still gives his Holy Spirit in the new covenant. He has never stopped being good to man and he has made a way for the original relationship that he had with Adam and Eve to be the same for every man through my sacrifice.”
The way Jesus’ tone changed when he spoke Adam’s name alarmed me. There was a thickness and a weight when he breathed the name.
Clear trails began to gather in Jesus’ golden-brown eyes, shimmering like pools made of quartz. To my surprise he started to silently weep. The compassion in him was coming off like healing waves from a hot spring. The sweetness of it was like honey and the pained desire of it was almost devastating.
I remembered his tears when he agonized with moans from a breaking heart.
“Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me!” —Matthew 23:37 NLT
In a split second, I felt the tiniest fraction of his deep compassion and longing for his sons and daughters. It was a sacrificial love, a love that laid everything down and spared no expense. I could hardly bare the strength of it.
“My dear, if you really knew how much my Father invested himself in you, you wouldn’t gape at creation the way you would gape at man. You would look in the mirror and never feel self-doubt again because you would know that I dwell within you. You saw a foretaste of redeemed creation in my eyes. The wonder of redeemed man through my eyes is infinitely better. Every man was made to be fully alive in me.”
~To purchase a copy of Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul, click here:
“As I read, I quickly became enthralled with this book, so beautifully written in the language of love. Each of these short stories so accurately reflects the romantic and wooing heart of the Bridegroom which draws you to Himself into a deeper place of love and intimacy. If you have not yet experienced romantic intimacy with God, I’m confident that this book will set you on course. It’s bound to warm your soul and whet your desire for your own heart-to-heart conversations and experiences with God. The author creatively ministers to the soul, bringing truth to light in the most tangible ways; you will feel that God is speaking directly to you, and He most certainly is! Some stories caused me to be drawn away into remembrance of my own experiences and conversations with God that have freed my soul; others caused me to reevaluate my heart’s commitment to my first Husband and cry out for forgiveness; and yet others simply took me on a delightful and exciting adventure of what the beginning of a holy, unadulterated love looks like – so refreshing to the soul! I commend the author for using her creative gifting to share personal reflections and heart intimacies which I know could only come from the deep well of Father’s heart. I highly recommend this book as a must read!” -Marina Garcia, Worship Leader
~A vivid snippet from the revised version of my book, Romantic Rendezvous for The Soul. May you come to understand and experience the rich and faithful love of Jesus as He dwells in His new glorious temple…your recreated heart. He will never leave you, He will never forsake you. He lives in you. (Colossians 1:27)
My beloved one, both handsome and winsome, you are pleasing beyond words. Our resting place is anointed and flourishing, like a green forest meadow bathed in light. Rafters of cedar branches are over our heads and balconies of pleasant-smelling pines. —Song of Solomon 1:16–17 TPT
He stood and extended his hand for me to take.
I felt like the woman caught in the act of adultery. Mercy washed over me in silky light, like the waves from his robe. He didn’t condemn me. There were no accusations. There was no stone in his hand. (John 8:11)
In fact, his hand seemed like an extension of his heart—promising to heal me even before I vowed to commit myself to him in the way he desired.
There was no cost for his healing. He freely offered to make me whole, with no hidden stipulations. Such grace empowered me and I felt my bones were stronger somehow. I felt like spring grass soaking in solar light from the sunshine of his presence within me. (Hebrews 13:9, 2 Corinthians 5:19)
The seeds within me pulsated with life. (Galatians 3:16, Luke 8:11)
I took his hand and he pulled me up to my feet. All the other guests in the room rose as well. Their presence was tangibly felt. They carried a weighty air about them that was holy and priestly. When they saw he meant to escort me away, they returned to their dancing.
Many things crossed my mind as Jesus and I crossed the dance floor into a more private corridor with a balcony view, namely I wondered why none of the saints pursued Jesus?
A banner hung from the room’s entryway. In Aramaic it read:
Strengthen me with raisin cakes, refresh me with apples, for I am weak with love. (Song of Songs 2:5)
The small elegant room featured a three-dimensional mural floor of a blooming vineyard blushing under a hazy sunset. The painting was so lifelike, even the dust kicked up in the air was illuminated like grated gold by the imaginary sunrays. The emerald leaves were silhouetted in basking glory and turned into a yellowish jade. Rows and rows of vines lacing around each other made me catch my breath.
Rosy marbled walls formed an arch in the center of the room before giving way to a chandelier that resembled a flourishing desert rose. Diamond-shaped light bulbs hung from the chandelier and sent shafts of prism light pirouetting across the walls. In the corner of the room was a large bed, hidden behind transparent curtains.
“It is lovely in here,” I breathed, admiring the splendor.
A lamp stand table made of polished gold held woven baskets with embroider cloths set beside them. Inside the baskets were marble bowls heaped with fresh fruit. The fragrance of ripe strawberries, dates, pomegranates, figs, and honey-painted cakes teased my nose. I saw blocks of cheese and nuts beside the fruit.
“Eat some,” Jesus offered, finally releasing my hand, “You haven’t eaten anything all night.”
…
I took a plump strawberry and popped it in my mouth. A refreshing, tart flavor with just the right amount of sugar burst in my mouth. I hummed in delight, imaging that only Eden carried such delectable fruits.
I took up another, and then another before trying a fig and a date. They were equally good but distinguishingly unique. I plopped several blocks of different colored cheese in my mouth until my cheeks swelled like a chipmunk’s. I had difficulty chewing but managed more easily after the first few bites. The rich flavors blended together like cream and salt. Afterward, I went for the nuts in handfuls. When I finished with those I took up a half slice of a pomegranate and plucked some seeds coated in red wine gel. I cupped my hand to my lips and let the seeds fall in before chewing. The tart taste reminded me of the best sherbet punch.
We ate for several more minutes before my appetite was satiated. Afterward, I felt the stickiness of dried fruit juices and honey on my hands. I rubbed my fingers together wondering how I would wash them.
“Is there a bathroom?” I asked.
“I have a jar of water and hyssop out here,” Jesus said, extending his hand toward the balcony.
We walked on the elevated porch, the sky canopied over us. I noticed a hard, blue clay pitcher in the corner. Beside it was a pink potted hyssop bush aflame with brilliant flowers, the color of nectarine skin.
I cupped my hands and Jesus poured some water between them before taking some flowers from the bush. He set them in my hands and I rubbed them together feverishly. He rinsed my hands again and I lightly dried my wet hands with an embroidered cloth beside the baskets. When I finished, I brought my hands to my nose and inhaled deeply the fragrant scent of hyssop plant. I took up the jar and poured water over Jesus’ hands. Afterward, I plucked up a few flowers before putting them in his hands. He repeated what I had done, and I fell silent.
I leaned my torso across the balcony and rested my head in one of my hands. Despite the snow that crested the mountains, I was warm. I looked out and admired the scenery before me. Everything seemed so expansive that I felt a little bit swallowed up in the grandeur of it all. I let my eyes linger over the glowing city, savoring the physical beauty of it like I savored the food I had eaten. Beauty fed my soul like nutritious food nourished my body. Jesus leaned his elbows on the railing of the balcony and also looked upon the terrain before us.
“How come nobody has come in here yet to seek you out?” I asked, finally voicing the question I had tucked away inside when he had whisked me away to the private room.
“What do you mean?” Jesus asked, unassuming.
I shrugged and then my eyebrows fell until they hovered over my eyes.
“Well, I’m just confused as to why we haven’t been crowded yet? I mean, didn’t you deal with that constantly after you began your ministry on earth?”
“I did.”
“So why, if these people know who you are, do they not love you?”
“They do.”
“But they aren’t trying to be near you?” I countered, slightly nonplussed.
“Because they know that I’m near them.”
“Even though you’re in here with me?”
“Yes. They understand that I live within them. That my promise is true. I will never leave them nor forsake them. They don’t need me to appear to them in this way in order for them to be content with me or with themselves. They converse with me all the time.” (ex: John 20:27)
My eyes fell to my cinnamon brown hands. An almost undetectable sense of failure came over me.
“They understand what I don’t fully comprehend,” I said lowly.
Just as quickly as the sense of failure had come, an inner quickening rose within me like a heater being turned on in the dead of winter. It came like a skilled soldier, swiftly combating the negativity that wanted to seize territory. I felt as if a seed had sprouted under the soil of my consciousness. Suddenly an assurance came up, and with it a loving caress that chased away all notions of shame.
I didn’t feel the need to compare myself to the couples on the dancefloor anymore. The precipitous change in my emotions puzzled and pleased me at the same time. I touched my stomach and easily discerned the presence of my Holy Friend (John 14:17).
I heard a soft chuckle from Jesus and refocused my attention on him.
“He’s amazing, isn’t he?” I asked, knowing the answer.
“He’s the Father’s gift to you and to all those sealed for me. You need not fear anything, beloved, not even death. Because of my Father’s Spirit, you will always be with us. He has sealed you forever and he isn’t going anywhere.” (Ephesians 1:!3)
“I think I know that now,” I said. Emotion caught in my throat. My mind traveled to precious instances in my past where the Holy Spirit had comforted and rescued me. There were many nights when I had cried myself to sleep on my bed and felt a warm arm around my heart.
“I love his faithfulness,” I whispered, and again touched my stomach, this time as if I were trying to embrace a friend.
“He will help you comprehend what the others understand. It’s his joy and delight to do so. He has much patience with you. There is peace in his mind toward you. You need never be frustrated with yourself, because it’s the opposite of how he feels about you.” (John 14:26, Hebrews 8:2)
I nodded and the breeze kicked up. The wind carried the fresh fragrance of spikenard, which diffused the air like a perfume bath. The dust of powdery snow lifted and swirled around in the breeze. A few frozen droplets touched my cheeks and I shivered. Some flakes of snow rested and then melted in my hair once the air stilled. I felt as if I had been touched by starlight.
“He would like to take you someplace as well,” Jesus said.
I reflected for a few seconds and then uttered, “Yes. I’m happy to go anywhere he wants me to.”
“Okay.”
Jesus turned toward me. I stood still as he placed his fingers on my temples. Instinctively, I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, anticipation building in me…
~I hope you enjoyed this preview of my revised version of Romantic Rendezvous for The Soul (Tasting the Bridegroom Love of Jesus). To purchase a copy of the 1st version, click here. As an author, the sincerest way anyone can thank me is through writing a review of my book(s) on amazon. If you’ve been blessed by my work, I would love to hear from you! Your review reaches out to other women and invites them into this ministry of words…and more importantly, into the tender love of Jesus inside the pages.
“Ashley Thompson’s Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul is simply wonderful. Deliciously descriptive, it nourishes the soul with fresh revelation of God’s love for humanity. This collection of short stories may challenge your thinking about what true intimacy looks like, while making your heart yearn to daily experience the Perfect Love described within its pages. Romantic Rendezvous invites you into a world created by Love Himself, where there’s no mistaking that His love for every individual is not only unconditional and never-failing, but also deeply personal and precious to Him. Get ready to experience the purpose, pleasure, and power of real love!” -Danielle Sanders, Worshiper, Songwriter, Licensed Minister, Former Highschool teacher
~For my book on returning to the liberating and strengthening grace of our heavenly Father, Visions of Celestial Love, click here.
“Ashley McClelland presents us with a true cornucopia of modern psalms, personal testimonies, and short stories. She has set out to reveal and unravel some of the most complex heart issues mankind faces in our quest of understanding what true intimacy with God really looks like. Prepare to have your soul massaged and worked on as you read Visions of Celestial Love.” — Jeremy Minard, Servant King Apparel
Blessings to you as you learn how to journey through this life walking closely with the truest Lover of your heart!
Right now I’ve been typing up a story called: Mr. Field’s Rosemary (one of my Jesus in disguise books). It takes place in an orchard field with a recently widowed woman on her way to Mr. Joshua Field’s cottage to cook breakfast for him and his six children. What Rosemary discovers is that Mr. Field’s is too going through pain. His beloved wife has run away from home again. This story has two big twists that leads to wholeness for Rosemary and the six adorable children she easily begins to love. I always ask the Lord to help me write and my prayer is that everything I publish leaves a deep, healing impression of Jesus’s love in the heart of every reader. I pray each reader comes to “see” the sweetly inconspicuous ways Jesus is hidden in plain sight in their lives and that they come begin to fellowship with Him daily. Enjoy:
While Joshua was gone Rosemary took some more sips of tea before admiring his kitchen again. She drank in the lovely decor and imagined his wife must have helped him furnish this room. Warmth from the pillar heat lamp rubbed her back like an expert massage therapist.
Rosemary spotted a bright gold chested hummingbird with shimmering emerald wings. It sucked sugared water from a feeder dangling from the paneled patio. The gold-flamed honeysuckle flowers glowed from the peeking rays of the sun. Their vines hung like a soft caress on the patio’s design. The edge of winter was waning and the waking yawns of spring echoed in the scenery.
Joshua announced his presence by softly clearing his throat. He headed for the cabinets, “coffee too?”
“No thank you Mr. Fields. Your tea is quite…perfect.”
Joshua grinned in delight, “I think you’ll enjoy the coffee more.”
Rosemary only stared…missing the taste of freshly brewed coffee on her palate.
“I feel like you’re a coffee drinker.” Mr. Fields stated before turning on the grinder. The inviting scents of the beans wafted underneath Rosemary’s nose.
“I do love coffee,” Rosemary confessed and then shrugged one shoulder, “but usually with a ton of whipped milk and sugar…among other things.” She blushed as she looked down at her belly and slightly patted it, “but I’m trying to lay low on some things right now.”
Mr. Fields gave a sympathetic look.
Tears threatened and Rosemary let out a cough to clear her throat, “I…I overate quite a bit after…” her voice broke. After my husband died, she thought. She shook her head before glancing up at him. His gaze was attentive but not forceful.
A long moment of silence filtered between them, with it, an awkward pressure to break it. Mr. Fields turned off the grinder and carefully made his way toward her.
All of the pain she was feeling was like an angry volcano in her chest. It threatened to squeeze through her throat. Rosemary gulped loudly and her bottom lip twitched. Mr. Fields stopped an arm length away.
She feared he would touch her…but more than that she feared the wrath inside of herself. She had never experienced anger when Richard died…only overwhelming sadness. The worst part was…she felt her anger was directed toward God.
What kind of Christian am I?
Shame flamed Rosemary’s already reddened face. Her jade eyes widened and she took a step back.
“Do you need to talk about it?” Mr. Fields asked gently.
Rosemary shook her head more violently than she intended, “it’s nothing I think would be beneficial to our working relationship.”
“But, would it be beneficial to you? That’s important too.” His voice was so soft it came out like a whisper.
She looked up and saw his beautifully warm eyes. There was genuine care sketched across his bronzy visage.
A thousand thoughts battled in her mind. But the longer she looked at him, the more her mind cleared. It was as if the soft peace she felt around him was being offered to her. “After…my husband died,” the words came out like the bite of an undying winter. Her shoulders shook and her trembling lips parted before a flood of audible cries came out. Joshua closed the remaining gap between them and wrapped her in his arms. She forgot herself and buried her face against his chest. He rested his chin on her head and embraced her firmly. She stood there in his shelter until she collected herself.
After becoming calm, Rosemary allowed herself to linger in Mr. Field’s supportive arms. She could hear his heartbeat against her ears and the faint scent of spikenard, saffron and calamus were blended like a colon bath on his clothes. Clearing her throat, she put a pushing hand against him and he released her immediately. Clear tears trailed her cheeks, dripped down her chin and splashed against her arms and shirt.
“I…”
He cut her off, “Don’t apologize. I’m glad you got that off your chest.”
She glanced away until he spoke again, “You don’t ever have to pretend you feel anyway other than what you do around me. I’m not unfamiliar with pain…or comfort.”
“Thank you, Mr. Fields.”
He held a hand up, “please call me Joshua. It’s more personable.”
She tilted her head slightly.
“It’s okay if you forget…but it’s another if you do it on purpose. I’m asking you to call me by my first name.”
Deciding not to make waves Rosemary nodded. “Okay,” she verbalized.
“Good,” He said and then only stared. The look on his face spoke volumes more. He desired to say things that she wasn’t ready to hear. Pain flickered in his eyes and then something else. A knowing she couldn’t discern yet it pulled on her soul like a magnet leading straight to his heart.
She sniffled and squinted her eyes in thought.
“I want you to feel like family with myself and the kids.” Joshua said and in her heart, she believed him.
“That is super kind of you to say that. I confess I think my time volunteering with you might unravel some of my emotions. I never meant to involve you in my grieving process, especially since your family is going through a difficult family time as well.”
“I believe this is a good thing,” he said confidently but not arrogantly. Rosemary waited for an explanation and when he offered none she shrugged, “maybe.”
Joshua turned away and went back to fixing his coffee. After pouring fresh water into a silver and black cappuccino machine he offered, “I can help you with breakfast if you like?”
There was something about him that made Rosemary suspect she would not be able to hide behind her self-imposed mask of calm. She trembled inwardly as she feared his peaceful presence would unravel the ugly things within her she had so desperately closed her conscious to. Vulnerability had never been her forte. Her history was marked with painful memories of rejection and scorn whenever she exposed the soft, throbbing, naked places of her soul. She couldn’t imagine Joshua would respond any different.
“No, thank you.” she said, wanting to put distance between herself and him.
Fear not, for you shall not be ashamed; neither be confounded and depressed, for you shall not be put to shame. For you shall forget the shame of your youth, and you shall not [seriously] remember the reproach of your widowhood any more.
For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called.
For the Lord has called you like a woman forsaken, grieved in spirit, and heartsore—even a wife [wooed and won] in youth, when she is [later] refused and scorned, says your God. -Isaiah 54:4-6 AMP
As always, may you enjoy the warmth of Jesus’s love today in familiar and unexpected places! For a romantic fictional book on the bridegroom love of Jesus, check out my book, Romantic Rendezvous for The Soul!
“As I read, I quickly became enthralled with this book, so beautifully written in the language of love. Each of these short stories so accurately reflects the romantic and wooing heart of the Bridegroom which draws you to Himself into a deeper place of love and intimacy. If you have not yet experienced romantic intimacy with God, I’m confident that this book will set you on course. It’s bound to warm your soul and whet your desire for your own heart-to-heart conversations and experiences with God. The author creatively ministers to the soul, bringing truth to light in the most tangible ways; you will feel that God is speaking directly to you, and He most certainly is!
Some stories caused me to be drawn away into remembrance of my own experiences and conversations with God that have freed my soul; others caused me to reevaluate my heart’s commitment to my first Husband and cry out for forgiveness; and yet others simply took me on a delightful and exciting adventure of what the beginning of a holy, unadulterated love looks like – so refreshing to the soul! I commend the author for using her creative gifting to share personal reflections and heart intimacies which I know could only come from the deep well of Father’s heart. I highly recommend this book as a must read!” -Marina Garcia
~This snippet is taken from my upcoming book, At The Time For Love, a romance novella based off Ezekiel 16:6-14. This story is meant to introduce teenage girls to romantic purity and the Bridegroom love of Jesus.
My family’s truck, Old Faithful, weakly trodden through the thick, crunchy and pristine snow. I thought he was just having a hard time and patted the dashboard as if comforting a person, “Sorry old buddy, I know it’s hard. But you can make it.” Just then the engine coughed dryly and then Old Faithful stopped. My eyes widened in disbelief. “What?!” I turned the keys back before turning them forward again. The car tooted a few times but then it died. “No,” I said in denial and tried again. Each time I received the same result, “this can’t be happening!” I exclaimed and prayed before trying again. This time the engine didn’t even make a sound. Just then it came to me.
The gas!
Remind me to fill Old Faitfhful up when we get into town okay? David’s words came back like a flood. I hadn’t remembered, and neither had he.
Did he remember now?
The heater had only been off for a few seconds and already the inside of Old faithful was growing cold.
I was about ten miles from home and about fifteen from work. I had no cell phone and no means of communication. I was also on the long stretch of the road that was mostly abandoned. The bulk of Pomeberry was five miles or so back. The snow was heavy and falling steadily. Apart from my warm clothes I had nothing to keep me warm but a mug of hot chocolate. I pressed my back against the seat and thought about my options.
It was probably around 6:45, I needed to be at work by 7:10. If I went back to town I would have to find a payphone or ask somebody if I could use there’s and call in for Danielle or somebody to come pick me up. My family wouldn’t be able to get me because Old Faithful was the only vehicle we owned and I doubted anyone would ride our horse Embers to come get me. It would be foolish to do so. I could walk back home but then I’d be super late for work.
I exhaled slowly and said a prayer, “God…please help me. Send help somehow, someway.”
A spark of determination went off on the inside of me and I decided that I would walk to work.
I couldn’t tell if it was from God or from my own self-determination but I went for it. I knew the logical thing for me to do would be to stay in the truck and at least wait until daylight before attempting to walk but I was anxious to be on time. And for some reason I allowed my anxiety to override common sense.
“Help me get there,” I said and grabbed my keys before stuffing them in my coco colored purse. I slung my purse strap across my shoulders and opened the door. A wave of icy cold air slapped against my face and pushed my body. Shivering I closed the truck door.
It was dark and cold. Glinting stars could still be seen in the sky but I saw a royal blue line along the horizon which promised sunrise in forty minutes or so. The rest of the sky was black. After zipping up everything that could be zipped on my coat, I fastened the furry hood over my head, hugged myself and started off.
To keep from being scared from the dead silence around me, I hummed to myself.
I sang an old hymn I remember my grandmother singing on Sabbath mornings, “God is good, all the time. He put a song of praise in this heart of mine, God is good, all the time. Through the darkest night His light will shine. God is good, God is good, all the time.”
After about an hour of singing I began to realize just how foolish I had been to leave Old Faithful. My lips were parched dry and felt like they would peel at any moment. I licked them constantly to keep them warm but that only served to make the brisk hair harsher when my tongue retreated back in my mouth. My nose felt like it was freeze burnt and I was sure it shone like Rudolph’s. My legs had painful goose bumps on them that protruded so sharply that every brush of my jeans against them hurt. My muscles were achy from shivering and I was thirsty. I had finished off my hot coco after five minutes or so of walking. The sky was lighter and the horizon bled deep orange despite the puffy clouds that covered the hemisphere. Unfortunately, the wind was restless and it pressed against me as I walked.
I continued on for about ten more minutes before exhaustion took over. My face crinkled and I wanted to cry. Why did I leave Old Faithful? How far along was I to work? Should I go back? I looked up at the falling snow and my boots sunk a little into the crunchy snow.
“What am I going to do?” I cried looking up to heaven, “please help me God.”
Powdery snow rested gaily on my eyelashes blinding me temporarily.
My eyes moistened and hazed my vision. With aching muscles, I continued to walk.
About twenty more minutes passed by and the rose red sky was streaked gold along the horizon, a pretty blue lifted above it and an orange cream rested atop.
My lips trembled uncontrollably as I walked, my arms were stiff and hugged my chest tightly. Pain enveloped me like a heavy coat and my knees felt like they were about to crack. All my muscles felt like giving in but I gritted my teeth and told myself I could either collapse and potentially go into hyperthermia or I could press on and get help.
A faint rumbling noise caught my ears like a wisp of wind.
What was that?
I looked to the left and to the right and saw nothing. My eyes brows creased, oh great, I’m hallucinating!
Somewhat saddened by the thought I continued walking.
I glanced at the trees around me. Their branches were drooping down with snow and the sight reminded me of soft pillows piled atop each other or white shirts stacked atop one another in a laundry basket.
My ears perked up and I thought I heard a rumbling noise again…only it sounded louder.
I looked around me again and saw two yellow lights in the distance.
I squinted my eyes and realized it was headlights.
My heart leaped and I weakly turned around and began walking toward the vehicle.
“Help,” I mumbled queasy to my stomach.
My legs sloshed over layers of snow and fresh tears rolled down my eyes, “h-h…help…me.”
Pain kicked up my arm as I lifted it and waved.
The vehicle…which was going at a slow pace seemed to speed up. Within about two minutes I saw a gleam of cherry red.
James! It was his truck!
My lips cracked into a smile until I realized I must have looked like a horrid mess.
I pushed aside the thought quickly and couldn’t believe that even in a dire situation like this I would be concerned with such a feminine thing.
Typical woman, I thought dryly to myself.
The truck stopped a few paces in front of me and James leapt out. His eyes wide. He was wearing a winter beanie, a jacket, jeans and thick wool boots.
“Autumn!” He cried rushing toward me. My body gave in at that moment and I collapsed to the ground. Powdery snow lifted as I crashed into it and for a moment I thought I would go unconscious. My body shivered violently.
“James,” I sighed sheepishly as he leaned over me.
“Your lips are blue!” he exclaimed.
“You’re so beautiful…” I said my voice trailing into a drool.
Did I just say that?
James bent down and secured his arms under me before picking me up igniting, everywhere he touched with pain. A sharp cry escaped my lips.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured warmly, his voice coated with tears.
“I…it’s o-okay.” I told him, “my body hurts all over.”
As gently as he could he placed me in the passenger’s seat before closing the door behind me.
When he got into the driver’s seat and closed the door I whispered weakly, “I-I can’t buckle myself in.”
“I know you can’t. I wouldn’t expect you to.”
He turned down the heater and I wondered why. “You can’t take in too much heat at once. It could put your body in shock.”
His eyebrows wrinkled and I saw he fought tears.
He turned to me and saw how I shook. He seemed so serious, and yet so concerned about something.
“I have to get you out of some of your clothes,” he said calmly…though his eyes were not equally as relaxed.
“My clothes?” my eyebrows rose.
“Yes. They are cold as brick, we need to get…s-some off. Do you understand?”
I nodded slowly.
“Okay…t-thank you.”
He moved closer to me and before long he was right beside me.
“Can you rest your arm here? …uh huh…and the other one here. I’m going to try to do this as gently as I can.”
Unzipping my outer coat, he moved slowly to free my arms from the sleeves.
I cried as he did for the pain was almost unbearable. I saw how it hurt him to do it and to see me in so much torture. “God help me,” he prayed, “help her.” My jaw trembled so much it was sore. Tears trailed down my icy pale cheeks. James moved to take my boots off my feet, then he removed my socks and massaged my stiff toes which were like ice. When I screamed as he helped the blood to start flowing again he withdrew. He looked up at me…a pained expression on his face.
“I have to. I’m so sorry Autumn.” His voice broke.
I sucked my bottom lip and closed my eyes. As he worked I bit my lip and tongue…puncturing my skin and releasing a slim stream of blood.
When James sat up again he saw it trailing down my lip and reached to grab a napkin. Voicelessly he gently patted it against my lip and wiped the trail of blood from my skin.
I inquired about my feet and he said with a sigh of relief, “your feet are going to be fine.”
“They sting like needles.”
“That’s normal. It means your tissues are warming up…and blood is flowing.”
I nodded.
When he was done patting me he took a tube of chopstick from his pocket and applied some to my lips.
He looked down briefly as if embarrassed and then back up at me again.
“Do you have on an undershirt?”
I felt a flood of heat rise to my cheeks and I slowly nodded.
“How about tights?”
“Yes,” I breathed.
“…okay. Can I?”
He didn’t have to explain…I already knew.
I nodded and slightly hesitant at first, he began to raise my sweater dress over my head. He made sure to only keep his eyes on my face the whole time.
Tossing the cold garment aside he asked me if I could unbuckle my pants.
I tried but my hands were stiff and in terrible pain.
Tears pricked my eyes as I tried to loop the button out of the hole.
He saw my pain and put a large warm hand over my pale cold one. “It’s okay. I can…” He silently prayed as he unbuttoned me and then lifted one leg at a time as he pulled the jeans down and then off. It was a slow and tear-jerking process. I was so grateful I had put on tights and an undershirt…otherwise I would have been stripped down to my bra and hole-spotted panties.
When it was done he stripped himself of his outer coat and then his sweater. He gently draped the inside part of his jacket over my legs and then he rested his sweater in front of me…using the head of the seat behind me to tie the arms to. He then carefully buckled me in and handed me a cup of room temperature water. “Drink as much as you can.” He said gently.
He buckled himself in and then promptly started off, “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No…work?”
“Forget about work Autumn. I will contact Carol.”
I began to drift to sleep. Pain racked my body and suddenly I felt so heavy with sleep. James pulled out his cell as he drove. I heard him talking to my mom and then David.
The road, and his dashboard blended together and I fought to stay awake.
“Yes, I have her…. she’s dehydrated…cold….in pain…. praise God He helped me find her…. we’re off to the hospital…. yes…yes…see you there.”
I felt the truck speed up. And I began to hear James pray in tongues and English.
“God, please help her. Send your warmth throughout her body…give her body the strength she needs, speak peace and comfort into her soul…”
Finally, everything went black and I drifted to sleep.
I woke up momentarily when a shock of cold blew in the truck. My eyelids lifted and I saw we were at the hospital. James had opened up my door and was unbuckling me. The blistering wind howled outside. James took me in his arms and held me close to his chest like a baby before closing the door with his back.
I shivered and my teeth chattered.
“Hold on my sweet one,” he whispered warmly, and my heart melted at his endearing term for me.
Sweet one. It was the first time he used a pet name for me.
I nestled my head under his chin and closed my eyes.
Suddenly heat kissed my skin and bright lights beckoned me to open my eyes but I felt so weak I kept them closed. We must have entered in the hospital. My guess was soon affirmed as I heard James tell somebody, “please, my friend is suffering from hypothermia.”
“Right this way sir,” a feminine voice replied.
“Thank you,” James said and I felt his pace quicken.
I blacked out again.
Hours later I woke up feeling like I was floating on a cloud below a sunny waterfall of wind. I felt rejuvenated, replenished and peaceful.
My eyes fluttered and above me were concerned familiar faces. My entire family was in the hospital room.
“She’s awake,” Thomas said and I heard movement as everyone gathered around. Someone was holding my hand. I looked around and saw that it was Mama. David was holding my other hand.
“Thank God,” Kendell said relief flooding his voice. His dark chestnut eyes lit up and behind them I saw a gleam of glass…. had he been crying?
“Yes,” I said slowly, “I’m awake.”
“Oh Autumn,” Mama said reaching her hand to cup my cheek, “we were praying for you.”
“Worrying our heads off!” Kendell stated.
“How are you feeling?” David asked as Ginger went to sit beside me, her icy blue eyes fixed on my rosy face.
“…happy,” I said surprising them all.
I saw David’s eyebrows lift in amazement, then they relaxed and a small grin lifted his right cheek, “I’m glad to hear that.”
“What are you so happy about?” Paige asked, her silky light brown hair was tied to the side and dangled gracefully over her delicate shoulder. She was wearing her pretty pearl fur coat, and her lips were stained lavender.
“To be alive…” I said slowly, “I felt like God was talking to me while I was asleep…or rather…holding me.”
“Holding you?” Thomas inquired.
I nodded sheepishly, “uh huh…. some place…beautiful.” My body relaxed and I let out a long quiet sigh.
Paige walked forward and kissed my forehead. I smiled sweetly as her lips met my skin and I moved my arms to hug the nape of her neck. She smelled like a fresh bed of flowers spiced with cinnamon apples. Only when I went to do so did I realize IVs were in both of my hands. I hesitated and then slowly lowered my hands.
“How much longer do I have to wear these things?” I asked a little disgusted. I never liked needles.
“Not any longer,” an unfamiliar voice said. Everyone turned.
“Doctor Flores,” mama said greeting an olive face with ebony black hair and sparkling dark brown eyes.
Doctor Flores greeted me, “good to see you awake Autumn, you gave your family here quiet the scare.”
I nodded and thanked her for helping me.
“My pleasure hun,” she said and checked my vital signs, “perfect…” She then moved to take out the IVs and I closed my eyes tight. To my surprise it didn’t hurt at all. Dr. Flores applied some alcohol to the area and then taped some gauze on.
“How soon can I leave?” I asked.
“Right now, if you’d like…but I think you should eat something right away and we’ve already got a gentleman fetching you some soup.”
“What kind of soup?”
“He said creamy tomato was one of your favorites?”
I nodded.
“Great. Well he should be here soon,” Dr. Flores said before addressing mama, “may I have a word with you ma’am?”
Mama nodded and went off with the woman.
While they were away I asked, “Who went to get me soup?”
“Who do you think?” Paige said with a grin.
“James…” I breathed.
“I’m so happy you’re okay Autumn,” Ginger said and then spread her body next to mine. I giggled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
“I’m glad I’m okay too.”
Ginger kissed my neck multiple times and before long everyone dispersed in the room and began to relax.
Paige picked up a book and began to read it out loud to me. David, Kendell and Thomas engaged in hushed conversation, and Ginger lay peacefully by my side fiddling with my hair between her fingers.
Eventually James walked in carrying a bowl of soup in one hand and a beautiful bouquet of wine red roses and a stuffed teddy bear in the other.
My heart leaped at the sight of him and I sat up without knowing.
“James,” I breathed as he neared me. He walked past everyone and leaned over me pressing a kiss on my head. I titled my head up and went to kiss him before stopping myself. My eyes widened when I realized how natural it felt to just reach to kiss him. My hand made its way atop his as he rested his on the bed. I smiled brightly and he withdrew his hand. It all happened so quickly, yet so slowly at the same time.
“It’s good to see you awake and well,” he said gently.
“Thank you so much,” I sang.
He breathed, “thank God.”
David stood to take the roses and put them in a vase. “They are beautiful,” I remarked taking a closer look at them. Delicate petals flowering open in layer after smooth layer of ruby hills. “Not as beautiful as you,” James said and I blushed.
If you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek of, At The Time For Love, you will likely enjoy my book, Romantic Rendezvous for The Soul. To find out more about it, click here. To purchase a copy, click here.
“For centuries, the female heart has melted with desire for the lasting pleasure of unchanging love. In the course of time, civilizations have risen and fallen, yet the single longing for tangible intimacy has never faded. Millions of lyrics have been written to the passionate tune of this fluid yearning and more are being written every day. Unfortunately, few people find the lasting love that they longed for as children.
Life, education, and societal pressure transform what was once a tangible hope, into a mythical fairy tale. Industries have reaped unlimited monetary gain from the erosion of this waned hope. Billions of girls grow up into women who have long since tossed their dream of true love in the trash bin of responsibility and cynicism. Countless others, have buried their ache of unmet desire under the disappointment of failed relationships and hopelessness.
Despite most women’s’ best attempts, this starved craving remains alive, like a faint stimulating aroma.
This ethereal hope goes back to the first relationship…in a place of being so “seen” and “lovingly known” that “she” was naked and unashamed.
This novella was not written to add salt to the gaping wound of unsatisfied need. It was written to satisfy the need completely. Let Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul introduce you to a lasting relationship with Transcendent Love where reality becomes sweeter than your dreams.”
I fall to my knees from His radiant light…simultaneously I cry even as my heart explodes with joy; rejoicing resounds in my inner man at the sight of the greatest Lover in all creation.
He causes me to cry and laugh at the same time.
There are only two things that pierce the human soul: beauty and pain.
He is both.
He is the greatest beauty, the most radiant light, the highest joy, and yet those eyes of fluid love like liquid lava burns the one it meets.
In His eyes I see an all-consuming fire; I see a deeper knowledge of myself than I have, I see Heaven, I see grace offered at a great sacrifice.
I see His pain.
I see His joy.
I see His passion.
I see the One who created me from a desire to love every part of me.
I see a redeeming love.
I see His wrists, knowing blood dripped from them like a river.
I see the eyes of eternity loving my ethereal form and my spiritual inner person.
I see a Man who pursued me at the highest cost.
I weep, I sob, I am ruined and saved in His arms.
He tells me He loves me.
He tells me, “Everything I have is yours, and everything you are is Mine.”
I walk on a distant hill in the cool of the morning. The sky glows a deep blue and I realize I am married to the greatest King.
He is no ordinary King. He doesn’t own a nation; He doesn’t own a country; He doesn’t own seas of gold; He doesn’t own a thousand rolling mountains on miles and miles of land…no…
He owns it all.
He owns the oceans.
He owns the world.
He owns every speck of dirt on the ground.
He owns every tree, every seed, every beast, every insect.
He owns justice.
He owns time.
He owns all wisdom.
He owns all riches.
He owns all goodness.
He owns…everything.
I look up and see the stars, glistening above my head, and He tells me, “They are yours.”
I think of them like wedding rings gifted to me.
The galaxies, infinite.
My mind tries to wrap around eternity.
My heart understands His love when my mind doesn’t.
I know because over the years the greatest gift He’s ever given me wasn’t my initial salvation…no, it was loving me day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year faithfully, despite my brokenness, despite my unfaithfulness, despite the times I fussed angrily at Him, despite my weakness, despite my flight, despite my disobedience, despite my incapability to believe His love.
He loved me in my mess, in my dirt, in my blood, in my sin.
He’s seen the worst of me, and He proclaims the best anyway.
He calls me a princess.
He calls me beloved.
He shocks me time and time again when He says, “I commit myself to you. Receive my love.”
I look upon Him, all beautiful, so holy, so pure, so glorious, so powerful, so rich, so loving, and I weep.
His love drives out fear from my veins and floods me with living water.
He loves me so much He puts His Spirit in me.
He puts His very heart in me.
He says, “We are no longer two but one. I am inside of you.”
I cry.
How could He?
He, so pure and holy, put something so precious and eternal in my body?
No human lover, no matter how much passion, no matter how pure or fiery their love for a spouse, mother, father, or friend was, could ever give them their own life on a spiritual level.
It’s so much more than going to die for a person.
It’s permanently putting yourself in another no matter what the cost.
It’s sharing breath, sharing thoughts, and sharing emotion at the deepest conscious and subconscious level.
Only He is powerful enough to do that, only His love is that beautiful.
He tells me “I love you” daily and His whispers of passion erode the wall round my heart like the waves of an ocean against rock.
You love me, and all I want to do is worship You.
“His voice and speech are exceedingly sweet; yes, he is altogether lovely [the whole of him delights and is precious]. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!”
—Song of Solomon 5:16 AMPC
~This worshipful sonnet is taken from my book about Jesus’ bridegroom love, Romantic Rendezvous for The Soul. To purchase a copy click here. Thank you for your support! <3
“As I read, I quickly became enthralled with this book, so beautifully written in the language of love. Each of these short stories so accurately reflects the romantic and wooing heart of the Bridegroom which draws you to Himself into a deeper place of love and intimacy. If you have not yet experienced romantic intimacy with God, I’m confident that this book will set you on course. It’s bound to warm your soul and whet your desire for your own heart-to-heart conversations and experiences with God. The author creatively ministers to the soul, bringing truth to light in the most tangible ways; you will feel that God is speaking directly to you, and He most certainly is! Some stories caused me to be drawn away into remembrance of my own experiences and conversations with God that have freed my soul; others caused me to reevaluate my heart’s commitment to my first Husband and cry out for forgiveness; and yet others simply took me on a delightful and exciting adventure of what the beginning of a holy, unadulterated love looks like – so refreshing to the soul! I commend the author for using her creative gifting to share personal reflections and heart intimacies which I know could only come from the deep well of Father’s heart. I highly recommend this book as a must read!” -Marina Garcia, worshipper.
“Unbelief is rooted in lovelessness—the lack of accepting the full measure of my love. Without love there cannot be faith, for faith works by love. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. You cannot receive what we yearn for you to have…what I paid a dear price for you to have.” Jesus sighed heavily.
His words bit at the philosophy in my mind, and thus damaged my pride with health-giving grace.
We were nearing the lake. As I looked ahead, I discerned glimmers of its moonlit waters behind the tall pine trees.
I began to be thirsty, and without verbalizing my desire, Jesus reached in the back and grabbed a cold bottle of water. “For you, love.”
I took it with a small “thank you.”
Inside, I mulled on his words and felt like the watery surface of my soul was being stirred by an unfamiliar wind. I knew his presence was causing the stirring and I wasn’t sure I was ready to uncover what was masked underneath the water.
“Don’t be hurt by my words. They are only meant to heal you and set you free.” He extended his arm and stroked my cheek with his right hand. “I love you just as the Father loves me. You mean more than the world to us. What I am saying to you now is the same thing I dealt with my disciples about. They too were often fearful. Think of when I walked on water and they imagined I was a ghost, or when they feared after my death and hid? Even after I told them I would rise again. What has tempted you is common to man. But I Am the door of escape.”
There was a great inflection of hope in his voice. “You will see great things. I will perform wonders in your life.”
My heart lit up with warm joy at his words. It was as if the Spirit of God inside me poured a cup of warm oiled water over the table of my heart’s imagination, scenting everything with hope. I was so awed by the deep intimacy of having the very Spirit of God indwell me and bear witness to the words of Christ.
However, without warning my reverie was soon interrupted by the accusatory thought that miracles could never be performed in my life or by my hands. My emotions began to sink.
Jesus’ face wrinkled as he sensed the enemy. “What’s this?” he asked, prying for me to confess a truth he already knew.
I stammered, “I…I…”
“This is the real enemy love. Not the devil. He is already defeated. But the entertainment of thoughts that are not of faith is the enemy. It’s the only enemy that has the possibility of stealing what is rightfully yours by grace. It’s the only enemy of physical and emotional healing, salvation, deliverance, and wholeness. Don’t you see? You already have everything in me. You are blessed with every blessing. How could Father spare not even me from you…yet deny you anything else? He has graciously given you all things for life abundant and godliness. You are not your own righteousness, you are not your own salvation, you are not your own qualification for our blessings. You will never be your own deliverance. Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from our Father. He is light. He doesn’t change his mind. These promises do not shift. They are a constant reminder of our unshifting grace and unmovable love for you. Faith for the promises is based on your understanding of Father’s goodness and my finished work.”
I started to sense that my soul was knit to his, and that I couldn’t hide in any way. I became aware of his presence within me like concentrated love attempting to ease every hurting place. I felt undivided acceptance and affection and peace that produced confidence.
-I hope you enjoyed this snippet from my newest book, Romantic Rendezvous for the Soul (about inner healing through intimacy with Jesus )! To purchase a copy, click here
~To learn more about my book, visit my Free Inspiration page
Scripture references from this preview :
Galatians 5:6, Hebrews 11:6 John 15:9 1 Corinthians 10:13 Ephesians 1:3 Romans 8:32 2 Peter 1:3 James 1:17
~This devotional is taken from my book, Visions of Celestial Love. To learn more about it, visit my Purchasable Goodies page.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her [Israel] and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak tenderly and to her heart. There I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley of Achor [troubling] to be for her a door of hope and expectation. And she shall sing there and respond as in the days of her youth and as at the time when she came up out of the land of Egypt. —Hosea 2:14–15 AMPC
This is sheer poetry to my soul. God speaks volumes to His beloved in these verses. The church is His beloved, both individually and collectively. This morning I dropped my brother off to school and was aware of a familiar pain. I spent time alone in my mom’s van talking to God about it. I was honest and open with Him.
When I walked in the house these were the verses that I turned to. Through them He pointed things out to me. He said, “I want to give you hope again. I don’t want you to give in to cynicism because of disappointments and supposedly deferred dreams.”
God said He would make my troubling a door of hope for me, and not just a door of hope but a door of expectation.
God reminded me through scripture that He is a good lover, because a good lover is the caretaker of His beloved’s heart. He said, “I will speak tenderly and to her heart.”
As my eyes scrolled down the pages He spoke more:
And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, that you will call Me Ishi [my Husband], and you shall no more call Me Baali [my Baal]…. And I will break the bow and the sword and [abolish battle equipment and] conflict out of the land and will make you lie down safely. —Hosea 2:16, 18b AMPC
Through these verses the Lord said, “You will know Me personally. You will be close to Me, for I will cause your heart through intimacy to call Me Husband.”
He also said, “I will break the bow in your soul, I will abolish the inner turmoil you feel and cause you to rest in my serene peace.”
Prompted through reflections of His loving words I continued reading:
And I will betroth you to Me forever; yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will even betroth you to Me in stability and in faithfulness, and you shall know (recognize, be acquainted with, appreciate, give heed to, and cherish) the Lord. —Hosea 2:19–20 AMPC
Here God spoke, “My mercy, and My love for you is steadfast. It does not die, it does not deplete. It isn’t diminished by you, nor however you think you’ve disappointed Me. My love is timeless and nothing you do or don’t do can affect the steadfastness of it.
“You are rightly Mine through royal, and holy blood. Blood that is other, not of this world. Blood that is spirit and life paid for you to live in paradise and be wooed by My love. You are betrothed to Me in righteousness and justice. It is right and just that you are Mine…and I am yours as far as My love is concerned.
“I will even marry you in stability and faithfulness. Do you know what that means? That means you don’t have to worry about chaos. Our marriage is stable as far as the Heavens are everlasting and immovable. You have peace. We have peace. Our relationship is marked by My peace…and you will remain in this peace for as long as you know that My love cannot be moved from you. You are My heart’s gaze, and My affections are set firmly upon you. Know that even if you fail to believe sometimes, you always have My peace…you just don’t always remain in it.
“I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. I will be faithful to you through all eternity. Let My eyes wash you with My love. I look at no others. I see no others. I Am the Husband of your dreams. The Husband that marks every part of you and calls you beautiful all over. The Husband who sees you on those early mornings where your hair is disheveled, when your breath stinks, when you’re having an emotional meltdown, when you’re moody, when you’re sweaty from work, and in sweat pants. I love you in those areas that you think you are ugly. I love to love you in those areas where you feel embarrassed and would rather not be seen. I love you in those areas because those are the areas where you most need to be loved.
“I Am the Husband of your dreams. I have eyes only for you. And I will be faithful to you always. Though the world shakes, though times change, though people come and people go, though you may act unfaithfully, though you may lose sight of love, though estrangement and loneliness may come, though you may pull away sometimes, though things rage…I will be faithful to you always.
“You are the queen I’ve waited for since I created the world. And I will clothe you in royalty and crown you with honor and virtue. It is Me who makes you beautiful. You are a reflection of all My affections, and the more you receive My love for you the more you display My beauty…the beauty that was always yours to own and have.
“You are the prize I’ve worked for throughout the ages. You are the one My heart dreamed of when I hovered over the waters in the beginning. Nothing else in all of creation can compare to you, My love—not oceans, not seas, not sunrises, not sunsets, not grassy plains or rainbows in the sky, not angels, not gold or precious stones.
“If only you could see the way I stare at you. If only you could taste the love that wells up in My heart every time I see you. I want you to experience Me the way I experience you. I am here, and I am here for a lifetime. I’ll be here for eternity loving you, and I rejoice in the day that you believe it. I am faithful.”
And in that day I will respond, says the Lord; I will respond to the heavens [which ask for rain to pour on the earth], and they shall respond to the earth [which begs for the rain it needs],
And the earth shall respond to the grain and the wine and the oil [which beseech it to bring them forth], and these shall respond to Jezreel [restored Israel, who prays for a supply of them].
And I will sow her for Myself anew in the land, and I will have love, pity, and mercy for her who had not obtained love, pity, and mercy; and I will say to those who were not My people, You are My people, and they shall say, You are my God!—Hosea 2:21–23 AMPC
May God’s loving words wash you with sweet, restoring love, the way it did me this morning.
To purchase a copy of Visions of Celestial Love, click here.
“A delightful book that reflects the praises from a heart that desires to abide closely with our Heavenly Father. Written in a style that summons us to experience a journey of deeper intimacy with a loving God. Ashley covers the foundation of the Christian faith that brings encouragement and assurance of God’s promises when faced with life’s challenges. Embracing our uniqueness and the safety of transparency before our Maker who cares about the most intricate details of our life. Yes, an invitation indeed from the One and only who can fill what are heart’s ache for.” — Jocelyn Reyna,
There is no lasting fulfillment or rest for your soul until it is found in relationship with Him. abundant life begins with Him. The bread of peace is in His hand and He’s a generous Giver.
)! To purchase a copy, 
